Electrical connector



1.. W. EVANS ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed July 23, 1945 KL M Invenbor- Lewis W. Evans,

is Hrs Ao'bor-neg Patented Oct. 15, 1946 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Lewis W. Evans, Pittsfielrl, eral Electric Company,

York

Mass, assignor to Gena corporation of New Application July 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,687 11 Claims. ((31. 24-425) My invention relates to wire or cable connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector for joining two or more electrical conductors or'wires such as a service line to the main line, or the like.

For many years one of the most commonly used types of wire connector for this purpose has been the split or bifurcated bolt arrangement which comprised a bolt having a head with a pair of parallel and segmentally threaded legs extended therefrom in spaced relation so as to provide a wire receiving space or slot thereinbetween. A nut threadable upon the legs was provided for clamping the wires between the nut and the head of the split bolt. Since it is necessary in such a construction to remove the nut from the bolt to insert the wire or cable in the slot, it was possible to drop the nut while making the connection, and furthermore it required two hands to make the connection. This is very undesirable since a common use for such connectors is with overhead conductors and if the nut were dropped in such a case it necessitated a trip to the ground to recover the same. To overcome this difliculty, many elaborate and complicated arrangements have been suggested for anchoring the nut to the bolt. some of these arrangements comprised an extension on one of the legs of the bolt so that the nut could be withdrawn from the end of the bolt and swung to one side for admitting the wires. Such extensions from one leg of the bolt while serving to hold the nut, were more or less in the way and furthermore interferred with the process of taping the resulting joints. Numerous other suggestions were also made to retain the nut on the bolt, but all of these are complicated and expensive.

The split bolt of the prior art had still another diificulty in that a sliding part was required between the legs of the bolt to prevent collapse of the threaded portion and even with a close-fitting sliding part, as was employed in prior art constructions, sufficient collapse of the threaded portion often occurred whereby it was possible for the nut to jump a thread and become loose.

It would be desirable to provide a wire con-' nector which can be manipulated with one hand,

in which collapse of the threaded portion is impossible, in which the nut is locked to the bolt in a simple and inexpensive manner, and in which a better grip on the line wire than was heretofore possible can be obtained.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved wire connector having the desirable features enumerated above.

It is another object of my invention to provide an electrical connector for wires which is unitary in construction in the sense that the portions thereof cannot normally be taken apart so as to be physically separated.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an electrical connector of the split bolt type in which at least a portion of the threaded end is solid while the head portion of the bolt is slotted.

It is another object of my invention to provide a connector for wires or cables employing a slotted head construction including a slotted washer which is rotatable relaive to the head to permit insertion of the wire into the slot and which cooperates with the slotted head to form a complete head.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector embodying my invention shown in a position just prior to being connected to a long wire or conductor; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another step in placing the conductor in the slot of the electrical connector embodying my invention; Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a succeeding step; Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating still another step; and Fig. 5 is an elevational view illustrating an electrical connection between a main line and a branch conductor employing my connector.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a unitary connector comprising a bolt 1 having a head portion 2 at one end and a threaded portion 3 at the other end. Unlike the prior art arrangements where the threaded end of the bolt was slotted or bifurcated, the head end of bolt 1 of my invention is bifurcated so as to provide a wire receiving slot 4, while at the same time permitting a substantial portion of the threaded end of the bolt to be solid. In order to complete the head I provide a slotted washer 5 having a slot or discontinuous portion 6 and a pair of ears or lugs 1 which are adapted to fit into the gap portion of the slotted head 2, as is best shown in Fig. 4, to provide a complete head when in the position indicated in Fig. 4. The ears or lugs I are displaced from one another by the claims annexed to 180 indicated in Fig. 4 and from slot 6 by 90. The slotted washer is rotatable relative to head 2 so that when in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 or 3, an electrical conductor can be inserted in the slot 4 in a manner which will be described hereinafter. A suitable lock washer 8 is adapted to be slipped over the threaded portion 3 of the bolt I and a nut 9 is adapted to threadedly engage with the threaded end or bolt I which, as was mentioned above, is solid for a substantial portion thereof. In order to provide a unitary connector when the slotted washer 5, the lock washer 8 and the nut 9 have been assembled on v bolt I, the threads at the end'of the bolt I may be battered as indicated at I 0 in Fig. 5. With this arrangement it is obvious that a very simple means for retaining nut 9 on bolt I is provided without resorting to the expensive and com-'- plicated nut-retaining devices of the prior art.

Preferably the slotted washer 5 has a, pair of V-shaped notches II formed therein directly opposite the lugs 1 so as to provide two wire engaging portions when the lugs or ears I are positioned in the slotted portion of the head 2, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

When it is desired to connect two wires, one of which for example may be a long, overhead conductor, the nut 9 is unscrewed as far a the battered portion ID of the threads will permit, and the slotted washer 5 is rotated to the position indicated in Fig. 1 with the slot 6 in alignment with one edge of the wire slot 4 in bolt I. An operator may then, with one hand, move the connector so that a wire such as I2, which it is understood is a long conductor having no loose ends, or in other words an effectively endless conductor, may be slipped into conductor slot 4. The slotted washer 5 i then rotated as is shown in Fig. 2 so as to slip over one end of conductor I2 which is permitted to engage lock washer 8. Slotted washer 5 is rotated 180 degrees until its slot 6 is again in alignment with the other edge of slot 4 in bolt I whereupon conductor I2 is positioned in slot 4 with slotted washer 5 on one side thereof and lock washer 8 on the other side thereof as is shown in Fig. 3. Slotted washer 5 is then rotated another quarter turn, either forwards or backwards so that the lugs I are in alignment with the slot 4 in slotted head 2, as is shown in Fig. 4, theslotted washer 5 and the 50v head 2 together forming a complete head for bolt I. The end of a second wire, such as I3, may then be inserted in slot 4, as is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, and the two wires I2 and I3 clamped together by tightening nut 9.

The V-shaped notches I I in slotted washer 5 provide a double grip on the line wire for example-as contrasted with the single grip in prior art constructions. In view of the fact that the threaded end of the bolt I has a substantial portion thereof which is solid, there is no likelihood of a collapse of the threaded portion causing the nut 9 to jump a thread and become loose as was the case inprior art arrangements. The lugs I of slotted washer 5 when positioned within the slotted portion of the head as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 prevent any tendency of collapseof the head end of the bolt. Prior art devices could not employ a lock washer such as 8 in the present construction and therefore had a tendency to loosen due to vibration, especially when attached to a stranded cable. Such a lock washer can readily be employed in connection with my invention since no sliding member for preventing collapse of the bolt segments is required.

In view of the detailed description included above it is believed that the construction, as well as the use of my invention and the connector embodying the same, will be fully understood by those skilled in the art. It will be understood that to disconnect the wires and remove the connector from long wire I2, the operation described above will be reversed.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects and I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

' What I claim a new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electrical connection, a member hav-- ing a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end, a slot extending longitudinally from the head end of said member so that at least a portion of the threaded end of said member is solid while the head is slotted, a nut for said threaded end, and a slotted washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head, but rotatable relative to said head portion so that electrical conductors may be positioned in said slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said bolt.

2. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end, a slot extending longitudinally from the head end of said member so that at least a portion of the threaded end of said member is solid while the head is slotted, a nut for said threaded end, a slotted washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a-complete head but rotatable relative to said head portion so that electrical conductors may be positioned in said slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said threaded end, and means for preventing said nut from inadvertently being disengaged from said threaded portion.

3. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end, a slot extending longitudinally from the head end of said member so that at least a portion of the threaded end of said member i solid While the head is slotted, a nut for said threaded end, a slotted washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head, but rotatable relative to said head portion so that electrical conductors may be positioned .in said slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said threaded end, and means comprising a battered thread for preventing said nut from inadvertently being disengaged from said threaded portion.

4. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end slotted longitudinally from the head end so that the threaded end is solid for a substantial portion, a nut for said threaded end, a lock washer and a discontinuous washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head, but rotatable relative to said head portion so that an efiectively endless electrical conductor and another conductor may be positioned .in the slot and clamped by said nut between said lock washer and said complete head without removing said not from said threaded portion.

5. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end slotted longitudinally from the head end so that the threaded end is solid for a substantial portion, a nut for said threaded end, a discontinuous washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head, but rotatable relative to said head portion so that an effectively endless electrical conductor and. another conductor may be positioned in the slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said threaded portion, and means for preventing removal of said nut from said threaded portion.

6. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end, a slot extending longitudinally from the head end of said member so that at least a portion of the threaded end of said member is solid while the head is slotted, a nut for said threaded end, and a slotted washer member including a lug portion arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head with said lug portion disposed between the portions of said slotted head but rotatable relative to said head portion so that electrical conductors may be positioned in said slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said threaded end.

'7. An electrical connector comprising a bolt having a bifurcated portion at the head end thereof to define a conductor receiving slot and a solid threaded portion at the other end, a nut for said threaded end and a slotted Washer disposed on said bolt between said head end and said nut arranged to cooperate with said bifurcated portion to form a complete head, said slotted washer being movable on said bolt so that an effectively endless conductor may be inserted in said slot between said nut and said slotted washer by predetermined movements of said washer relative to said bolt without removing said nut from said threaded end.

8. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a, threaded I portion at theother end, a slot extending longitudinally from the head end of said member so that.at least a portion of the threaded end of said member is solid while the head is slotted, a nut for said threaded end, a slotted washer member including a pair of lugs arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head with said lugs disposed between the furcations of said slotted head but rotatable relative to said head portion so that electrical conductors may be positioned in said slot and clamped between said nut and said complete head without removing said nut from said threaded end, and means for preventing said nut from inadvertently being disengaged from said threaded portion.

9. An electrical connector comprising a bolt having a bifurcated portion at the head end thereof to define a conductor receiving slot and a solid threaded portion at the other end, a nut for said threaded end, a slotted washer disposed on said bolt between said head end and said nut arranged to cooperate with said bifurcated portion to form a complete head, said slotted washer being rotatable on said bolt so that an effectively endless conductor may be inserted in said slot by predetermined movements of said washer relative to said bolt without removing said nut from said threaded end, and means for preventing accidental removal of said nut from said threaded end.

10. An electrical connector comprising a bolt having a bifurcated portion at the head end thereof to define a conductor receiving slot and a solid threaded portion at the other end, a nut for said threaded end and a slotted washer disposed on said bolt between said head end and said nut arranged to cooperate with said bifurcated portion to form a complete head.

11. In an electrical connection, a member having a head portion at one end and a threaded portion at the other end slotted longitudinally from the head end so that the threaded end is solid for a substantial portion, a nut for said threaded end, and a discontinuous washer member arranged to cooperate with said slotted head portion to form a complete head.

' LEWIS W. EVANS. 

